Yesterdays Remains
by aurenwolfgang
Summary: In the time between persona's Bookman Junior is separated from his mentor and if that wasn't bad enough now he's being pursued by akuma who claim he has innocence, whatever that is.  The story of how Lavi and Kanda first met.
1. Meeting

**Warnings: I did proof read this to bits but I'm not exactly the smartest person so I'll bet there are a billion things wrong with it.**

**So sorry but I did all I can do without dying of embarrassment by getting a friend to check it. **

**Also it starts off a bit dull but I hope to improve that in further chapters.**

**Characters don't belong to me (cos ya know if they did I'd say posting on a **_**fan**_**fiction site would be inappropriate.)**

**I'd love to know if anyone would like me to continue with this story or not.**

Yesterdays Remains

Part one – meeting

Coldness and a sting that wouldn't cease; Those were the first things the Bookman's apprentice could determine as his single bottle green hue eased open.

He flinched as blood trickled in his line of vision and he noted the tight clench that grasped his wrists digging in like daggers, it held him limp like a ragdoll.

And then a laugh, who was laughing?

His gaze drifts upward slightly to his captor and the shock that had to have been more than evident on the Junior Bookman's face at what he saw; a monster of strange mechanics and flesh mended together, metal claws, canons, and a grin of evil and tragedy.

What was this thing?

He tried to call for help, maybe his mentor was nearby, so he opens his mouth in an attempt to find salvation but his voice gets caught in his throat.

The creature turns its unnaturally mangled head to one side and the movement makes it squeeze his wrist tighter, he can feel the blood seeping out, drizzling down the curve of his arms.

"He's not fighting" the abomination laughs and Bookman Junior cries a soundless yelp. It looks over to one of its others with a sick pleading expression that covers its face."Can I kill him now?"

His eye widens hearing this, sweat beads on his forehead, he had too much to live for, he hadn't learnt all of what needed to be taught to him, and he couldn't die, not here, not now.

"No, not yet, we have to find the innocence that he's hiding or Master Noah will punish us!" the other mechanical creature demands. Junior thanks his lucky stars for that much at least.

Noah, Innocence? He thinks, they sounded familiar; perhaps his mentor had mentioned them once? At that moment he couldn't care much to remember, he just had to get free.

His hands start to wriggle and struggle against the metal clawing them, it hurt but he'd be damned if he was going to let himself die there.

His captor wisps its head back around at the struggling boy locked in it claws and grabs his throat with its other, resting the metal blades gently around the vulnerable flesh leaving behind shallow cuts in its wake.

"Stop moving about so much or your dead kid." it laughs

"L-let go of me!" he shouts finding his voice at last "You demon bastards!" ouch that had to hurt the ego.

He struggles against his confines only managing to cut himself further, pain shoots through him but he keep fighting and shouting,

"Just tell us where the innocence is you little brat!" the claws around his neck grew tighter his breath was caught and the cuts deeper again, he really thought that was the end, only a little deeper and it'd hit a lethal point. Things began to get hazy again, he felt numb and useless so much so his mind drifted and he became lost and unsure of his surroundings.

All that he was certain of was pain, pain and more pain! So it was no surprise that he didn't take notice of the youth marching toward them, his only indication that they had even been interrupted was the sound of a harsh voice, full of passion and bloodlust.

"Funny..." the voice says and Junior's eye twitches a little in curiosity "I was just about to ask the same question" he says with a defiant smirk as he unsheathes the katana that hung reliably at his hip with a clean sharp sound that echoed in his ears. "Prepare to die, **Akuma**."

"Exorcist!" the creature now known as an Akuma growls dropping Junior, his shoulder slams into the rock hard dirt, and he yelps grasping it tightly, his gaze too wanders at the sword wielding boy, taking his stance, as the akuma lunge at him he dodges and swipes with a single flued motion cutting the first of the two akuma in two, Junior gapes in horrid surprise.

"That's an exorcist?" he whispers to himself. He'd heard of exorcists before from his mentor and from Books being described as soldiers of god sent to vanquish demons, but still the image the young Bookman apprentice had was more that of a docile old man baring nothing but a vile of holy water and a trusty old bible.

This man however was far different from anything he'd expected; like him the exorcist was just a kid, his long black hair held in a high ponytail and narrow oriental eyes of cobalt blue.

The second akuma wasn't taking any chances at getting within striking range, it backed right off using the canons fixated on either shoulder to fire at the young exorcist, he ducked and dived,

"Shit!" the akuma swears "Just **die**, Exorcist!" it continues firing and Junior has to take cover behind a nearby bolder covering his face with his arms to avoid the canon shrapnel.

He started to worry, the akuma could probably fire those bullets all day and the exorcist had nothing but a sword to protect himself.

There was just no way in hell that he could survive this.

Junior peeked back at the fight from his safe point, the predatory stare was still unwavering on the sword wielders face, Junior couldn't believe it, the idiot still had hope!

"Mugen, evil has risen! Netherworld creatures **'Ichigen'**!"

The blade begins to emit a light as he twirls it in hand and his index finger traces the sharps edge,

The light seeps from the blade and strange creatures shoot from it as the swordsman swipes his sword through the air, the beasts race through the akuma who momentarily stops in it tracks. It feels over its own body to inspect the damage. The exorcist grins "Turn to dust." It explodes and junior is left awestruck and filled with relief watching as shrapnel and dust fall from the sky.

He could have stared at the sight all day had the overwhelming sense of dizziness not overcome him, he'd forgotten about the globs of blood still gushing from where the akuma had him restrained.

It didn't take long from there for everything to be doused in a haze until finally everything fell to blackness.

The redhead awakes to smell of smoke and dust blowing across a dirt plane and something that smells oddly like fish.

A numbing breeze passes over him and he shivers through the tattered rags that serve as his only warmth, chilled his hands move instinctively to rub at his tired eyes only to be stopped by stinging sensation in his wrists from the movement, "Gyah!" he cries as he jumps up to stare at cloth bound wrists, tight blood stained and reeking of alcohol.

It's then he remembers the monster or Akuma as he should be properly addressing it.

His neck is bound too he realises when his breathing becomes too deep and it strains the binds

"Don't move too much" Junior hears from his blind side, the exorcist from before was sitting by a crackling fireside the light giving his eyes an eerie purplish pigment. "You lost a lot of blood and there aren't any hospitals nearby."

"I wouldn't go to one of those glorified butchers anyway..." he whispers. There is silence for a short while before the other hands him a skewered fish. He takes it graciously in hand and the small weight of the meal puts great tension on his injury that he has to hold back tears to save his pride.

"You need to eat."

"Thanks." Taking tentative nibbles at the charred carcass he relishes it since it's the first bit of food he's had since he was last with his mentor.

He grimaces at the thought. He hadn't seen the old man for days now and he couldn't just sit around while those akuma things where apparently attacking the area.

He had to leave.

The exorcist seemed rather indifferent of his presence Junior notes as he watches him attack his food like he hadn't eaten in weeks. "So what's your name?" the apprentice bookman asks while fiddling with a bit of loose meat.

There's a pause, like maybe he doesn't want to confide that information to a stranger, Junior can sympathise with that after all he had no intention of using his _real_ name.

"...Kanda." the Japanese youth answers finally.

"Thanks for saving me, Kanda. You can just call me..." he pauses. "...Junior?" he didn't mean to make that sound like such a questioning tone but he supposed it didn't really make a bit of difference. He had other things on his mind after all.

"I have to go."

"No you aren't" Kanda says mouth half filled with fish.

The redhead single jade eye narrows, "Excuse me?" He doesn't quite like the challenging tone and like hell he'd let some 'human' tell him what he can and can't do. Even if he did save his life, a Bookman's first and foremost duty was to his clan and mentor; who he had to find by the way.

"Your too badly wounded you idiot, and I have some questions for you, like why those akuma where asking you about the innocence?" he didn't have time for this game; he didn't even know what innocence was. How did he get caught up in this mess?

"Look at me, does it look like I know what's going on here? Trust me I would've just handed over what they wanted if I had it, I don't know about you but I have a fondness for living."

"You aren't leaving my sight until I get to the bottom of this. Right now-" he takes another bite of his fish. "-You're the primary target to those akuma and they won't stop just because you like _living_." _Just great_ he sighs setting his head back against the dirt, staring longingly up at the stars,

So this is what it's like to be a prisoner.

**To be continued...maybe?**


	2. Confessions

**A/N: So I'm trying to write something that's a little different to the usual fics I read here, still keep everyone in character and be bold in my writing, I'm failing miserably at that but I can only do my best and practice.**

**The keeping in character business is unbearably more difficult than I ever realised, especially with Lavi since he's not technically 'Lavi' yet. And I refuse to make dear Kanda a snivelling mess without some awesome reasoning behind it. (Kanda just has to be difficult *shakes fist*)**

**For those still waiting on Ignis, I'm just waiting for my beta reader to send it back, thanks everyone for being so patient! I love all the reviews you guys gave me.**

**Also you can check my DA page here: .com/ **

**Check my Facebook here: .com/update_security_?wizard=1#!id=100002172344984 **

**And also if you wanna chat on skype my screen name is aurenwolfgang. **

Yesterday's Remains

Part Two – Confessions.

A beautiful brunet girl named Riel walks casually into a small derricked chapel as her two companions; May and Renee follow behind with nervous steps and tentative glances back and forth from one another. They are fearful for the rage that is sure to be unleashed when Riel finds out what had happened to their mission objective since she was away.

The girl stops in front of a pristine pedestal; the only thing within the building that held any kind of beauty, as if it was untouched by time. That was what her gaze angrily focused on. However the thing that had been seated there was what she was interested in. the thing that was no longer present.

Her fingers caressed the pedestal softly. "Where is the innocence?" she asks with emotionless tone. The two behind her jump a little in surprise and hesitate to answer. Riel looks back at her companions; the look in her eye was one not to be tested. "I asked you a question, now answer me!"

"We tried to deter the humans away from the chapel!" Mary said

"We killed at least 100, but the weather changed and we couldn't see what was going on! Riel, please we didn't mean to lose sight of it." Renee finished as she bowed her head with hopes of regaining forgiveness.

"The weather changed." Riel whispered callously turning around to see the two shakily looking up at her. "The innocence changed the elements accordingly. You two knew that. It protected itself within this decrepit old church for years waiting for an accommodator. As the creatures we are we couldn't enter the church, however to protect it from outside intervention was our primary goal until Master Noah arrived." She step forward inches away from one of their faces, they stayed perfectly still for fear of what Riel might do.

"The innocence had been acting strangely, Riel."

"Acting strangely? Are you two fucking retarded! Innocence acts differently when it's synchronizing. Its accommodators probably been and gone by now, then we are screwed."

"Alf and Jonathan went after a suspect, we were told to stay put."

"Well?"

"They…they never came back."

Riel massages the bridge of her nose extremely frustrated and ready to flip off the handle any second the two before her were looking more and useless with every lame excuse they presented. For Riel failure was not an option and those who caused failure deserved every misfortune that came to them, misfortune that she was happy to offer.

For now that wouldn't matter she thought turning back to pedestal at the nothing that now rests there. She had to find that innocence before a Noah would show up lest her own life would be in danger.

"You two," she shouts pointing at the girls who waver in distress at the intimidating tone in her voice. "Go to the surrounding towns and look for anything suspicious. You should be able to sense to innocence when you get close." Riel walks past the two to go outside but pauses at the doorway "oh and do not reveal yourselves without my consent, understood?" as stupid as she they were they were in no position to loose comrades.

"Y-yes, Riel!" they both say in unison.

"As AKUMA it is our duty to serve the Millennium Earl and the Noah, do not forget what we are." A small grin forms on her angelic face, a gesture that goes at odd with the words that seep from her lips. "Let the hunt begin"

Meanwhile Kanda supports Juniors fevered weight as the days trek seemed to have taken his energy. Kanda couldn't really understand the delicacy of a human body, they got wounded and took weeks to heal again. To him; someone who healed in minutes of being attacked is seemed strange but then again he wasn't normal.

"I'm sick of lugging your deadweight around. Kanda scoffs and Junior only has the energy to smirk slightly with his feet dragging behind annoyingly scrapping the ground with each step.

"You wouldn't have to if you let me go back"

"As if you could make it back the way you are. Fuckwit"

"That's cruel"

"Get used to it." Kanda looks at the boy; his body slumped and barely standing his only means of support was the pressure he was pawing off on Kanda. His eye was dreary almost dead looking and he thought if they didn't make it to a town soon that this kid wasn't going to last. He'd have to get the information out of him before he died.

Easier said than done, this kid was secretive, what little he did say was all just teasing words or practically begging to go back to where Kanda had found him. Something about finding him grandfather?

Junior pulls his head up catching Kanda's eyes. "What?"

"You still have to tell me why those Akuma were after you."

"I told you-"

"You were lying. I can smell a liar a mile away and you reek"

Junior hides his face away from the boy staring daggers at him. What did he expect, that he'd just spill all his secrets?

Kanda sighs, weighs his options but his mind is numb, what can he say to this kid to make him realise the position he's in. how can he make him cooperate?

"The faster we figure this out the faster your life goes back to normal."

For a long moment there is silence Kanda thinks that his words were as useless as everything else up until this point. That is until Junior nods and finally says

"Fine, but I'm only going to say this once so you'd better be paying attention."

"Bookman, where are you?" Junior calls through the dust clouds and artillery noises; he can't hear a response from his elderly mentor only echoes from civilian screaming, gun shots and if he listened really carefully which of course he was he could even hear the squishy sound of exposed organs flying across the 'battlefield' if it could even be called that; it wasn't even a town that gave refuge to soldiers just your average run of the mill farming village.

But he didn't care about that right now. All he could bring himself to think of was just that horrid feeling building in the pit of his stomach like the one a child separated from his parents at a festival would get the moment before tears would be flooding from their eyes.

Junior was no snot nosed child (at least in his opinion) however he was lost and with all the carnage that just wasn't supposed to be there it was safe to say he was anxious for the safety of old geezer.

It was too dangerous to be standing out in the open like he was so he'd have to find any kind of shelter he could; just something to shield himself from the slaughter lest he get caught up in it himself.

Looking around he searches desperately for whatever he can find, he swears under his breath, hardly able to make sense of anything through the dust so he uses his ears to get as far away from the noise as possible he tells himself and wanders off to where the dust is less of hindrance.

He hears something and turns hastily whipping out a pistol he keeps securely at his hip. The image of a man mid to late thirties had been walking behind him; He was weak, Junior sees as his steps were laboured and his breathing was hitched as if he was about to suffocate.

"He-" the man holds out his hands desperately and Junior's gaze widens seeing the blackened dead flesh shaped like pentacles covering his body far more rapidly than any disease the Bookman's young apprentice had ever seen before. "-Help...me..."

Junior lowers his weapon but does not take his eye off the site in front of him. The man teeters forward and with each step more of the black stars appear on his flesh until he's completely covered and the dead skin turns ashy. _This isn't natural_.

The man crumbles to pieces before his eye until all that remained were the disfigured particles that had just been a person.

He was dead within a minute of the first noticeable pentacle.

"What just happened?" he whispers with curiosity eating him up. _A man just crumbled like a stale loaf of bread for no reason. _

He moves in closer to inspect the remnants of the body and was greeted with a strange smell causing his vision go hazy and his breath catch in his throat. _it's toxic!_ Junior scurries backward and grabs the rags he had cloaked around his shoulders to cover his mouth from the toxins in the air.

The situation was far more dangerous than he previously had thought.

His feet move faster than his brain for maybe the first time in his life as he runs until he finally finds shelter in the form of a little chapel situated at the base of a cliff. The place looked as run down as they come; the wood paling walls were rotted and broken in random places, the steeple had long since fallen and now lay half buried by the entrance. It was just a conveniently placed decrepit abandon chapel. It was perfect.

He enters slowly looking all around the new environment with a cautious glare. A pedestal at the far end of the chapel still stands perfectly unmoved and unaffected by time; it caught his eye as everything else had been destroyed or was rotting, but not that.

Moving cautiously toward it his boots echo loudly; dangerously so that he has to swallow the anxiety that the might place crumbling beneath him.

His approach is welcomed by a shining green light emitting from a small orb seated in the centre of the pedestal; it was warm and seemingly begging to be taken into his possession. If he wanted to sound romantic I guess you could say it was 'calling him', however that was far to cliché.

Nevertheless, even with a natural desire to reach out to it his mind was still active and quickly going into overdrive.

"Don't touch it!" he orders himself a little too loudly he admits under the circumstances and quickly curses his stupidity.

However, no matter how much he'd tell himself not to touch it and that it was nothing but trouble. He still wanted to. It just felt right.

He glanced back over his shoulder hearing the screaming and canon fire Junior quickly made a stupid decision.

He took the orb in his hands and felt power beyond anything he had ever felt before surging through his body and thought to himself how great it felt.

"That's what you wanted to know isn't it?" the redhead whispers through tired lungs. Kanda still supporting him says nothing just nods.

Part two –End

**A/N: I'll try to update ASAP but if you guys have any questions or just want to talk about nerdy stuff then feel free to contact me through Facebook/Skype/Deviant art etc.**


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